Backgammon

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In extraordinarily general terms, there are three chief techniques employed. You want to be able to hop between strategies instantly as the course of the game unfolds.

The Blockade

This is composed of assembling a 6-deep wall of pieces, or at least as thick as you can manage, to lock in the competitor’s pieces that are on your 1-point. This is deemed to be the most suitable strategy at the start of the match. You can assemble the wall anywhere inbetween your 11-point and your two-point and then shift it into your home board as the match advances.

The Blitz

This involves closing your home board as quick as possible while keeping your challenger on the bar. e.g., if your challenger tosses an early 2 and shifts one checker from your one-point to your 3-point and you then roll a five-five, you can play six/one six/one 8/3 8/3. Your challenger is then in serious calamity taking into account that they have two checkers on the bar and you have closed half your inside board!

The Backgame

This strategy is where you have 2 or more anchors in your competitor’s inner board. (An anchor spot is a point filled by at a minimum two of your pieces.) It must be employed when you are significantly behind as this plan much improves your opportunities. The best places for anchor spots are close to your opponent’s smaller points and either on abutting points or with a single point separating them. Timing is important for an effectual backgame: at the end of the day, there’s no point having 2 nice anchors and a solid wall in your own home board if you are then required to break up this straight away, while your challenger is getting their checkers home, seeing that you don’t have any other extra pieces to move! In this situation, it’s more tolerable to have checkers on the bar so that you are able to maintain your position until your competitor provides you a chance to hit, so it can be a great idea to attempt and get your opposer to get them in this case!